The contents in this wiki are written by students based on their personal experiences, so there may be some information that is inaccurate, incomplete, or may become outdated. For critical information, it is advisable to double-check using other reliable sources.
What To Buy
Tips
- Layering is super important!
The amount of layers needed depend on the temperature, the material of your layers and how good your jacket is. For example, on windy days of -5C, I wear a beanie, a Uniqlo heat-tech + another long sleeve + a windbreaker down jacket for my top, and a heat-tech legging + thick jeans for my bottom, and wool socks + winter boots. I walk to campus and back, so I’d say this is good for ~30mins - 1 hour of walking outside at a time. I try not to over-layer because all indoor spaces in Ithaca are heated, so you also don’t want to sweat indoors - Wool/Heat-tech is a good material for layering, gloves, and socks, as long as they don’t get wet
- Check the temperature ranges before buying a jacket
Bear in mind, Ithaca can reach -20C on our coldest days! So, definitely prioritize function over fashion. Most outdoor jacket brands have a temperature range that it can keep you warm for. Get one that goes down to at least -10C - Down jackets are good
- Ideally get jackets or coats that are also windbreakers. Ithaca gets super windy and it’ll feel colder than there actual temperature. Windbreakers will save your life
- Parkas (long coats that cover til your knees or lower) are nice but not necessary as long as you layer your pants to keep warm
- Get winter boots for warmth and to prevent slipping on icy paths. Luckily doesn’t happen very often since Cornell maintains them pretty well
- For skiing: bare minimum are waterproof pants, gloves, and jacket. So if you fall on snow you won’t get wet and cold
- Heat packs / “hot hands” are sand packs that warm up when you shake them. Nice to have inside pockets to keep your hands warm. Can get from pharmacy
I don’t wear gloves or scarfs daily so maybe someone else can add in
Good Quality Jacket Brands:
- Patagonia - thin but super warm. Expensive but they have official secondhand ones at Worn Wear online. Patagonia has an ironclad guarantee where you can send the products back for repair/replacement
- Uniqlo down jackets, relatively affordable
- Columbia
- The North Face
- Canada Goose, but quite overpriced
Layering Brands:
- Uniqlo Heat-tech
Good Quality Boots Brands:
- All of the above
- Timberland
- Dr. Martens
Winter gears are expensive, and Cornell may help pay:
- If you qualify, you can apply for Cornell's Access Fund.
Winter gear – Up to $250 (includes a winter coat, winter boots, winter hat, winter scarf, and winter gloves).
https://scl.cornell.edu/belonging-support-services/centers-student-equity-empowerment-and-belonging/first-generation-low-income-student-support/access-fund
taken from NGSO '23
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